When Boredom Strikes
by SunniGummi
Summary: Sometimes an idea born from boredom turns out to be a bad one. Edward is preparing himself for Rose and Emmett to return from their travels, but unfortunately Carlisle and the weather get in his way... Pre-Twilight. Warning: Spanking in this story. If it offends you, don't read.
1. Chapter 1

**Hullo! :D**

**I have a new short Edward story for you. Never fear, there will be no blood, death or Bella. Especially no Bella. A few tears, yes, but that's not my fault.**

**It's Edward's fault.**

**And why the heck am I writing an Edward story? Because the little bugger needs some love *winks***

**You can find the warning for this story in the description, please read it if you haven't already. I put it up for a reason... consider it a spoiler of some sort.**

**Okay, that's it for now, have fun!**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight and its characters. I just borrow them, make them miserable and then try to make them more or less happy again. No harm done!**

* * *

"But Carlisle... no!" Edward shouted and it took everything he had not to throw the door in his father's face.

He wouldn't even care if that action would break the door out of its hinges or hit his coven leader, leaving a big Carlisle-shaped dent in the wood – it would probably feel pretty good for a second or two, before Carlisle would make him feel pretty bad.

"Boy," Carlisle warned as with each passing moment he was growing more and more impatient with his son. His index finger was raised and his eyes hard and unrelenting – that's what he always did when one of the kids was doing something he didn't approve of. And right now he was not approving of Edward's behaviour and hoped his son would stop throwing a tantrum, mind the warning and behave.

But this little game had been going on for a few minutes now and it didn't seem like it was going to end anytime soon – he wanted Edward to calm down and listen to him, while his little mindreader preferred to show him how stubborn and wilful he could be.

"It's not going to happen and you can't make me."

Carlisle cocked an eyebrow. "Oh, but it is. And while I don't want to resort to 'forcing' you," the blonde man agreed, "I can make the next few days very uncomfortable for you if you don't sober up and start acting your age. I'm sick and tired of having to warn you again and again."

That was basically the same... forcing him or making 'the next few days very uncomfortable'... _Tzk, Carlisle._

"Carlisle, you don't understand. The problem is not that I can't, it's just that I don't want to," he told him and gave him a look that pleaded with him to show some understanding and sympathy, before he realised that _that _had come out completely wrong.

His eyes widened.

"Uh- no!" he quickly tried to correct his statement, "I mean, it's not that I don't want to, but I just can't!"

"Too late, Edward," his father said, put his hand against the door to push it open further and entered the spacious bedroom with slow but heavy steps.

Edward, however, preferred to keep a certain distance between himself and his father - for safety reasons, of course - and walked backwards.

"But she started it!" he exclaimed. It was just another meek attempt to make Carlisle change his mind about this situation, and it seemed to have done the trick because the doctor suddenly stopped.

Raking a hand through his blonde hair and heaving a groan, he replied, "You haven't even seen your sister in weeks. How in the world could she have started anything?"

Hm.

Oh, of course he would ask! Parents could be so annoying and unreasonable! "Well...," he replied, but quickly realised that he had no answer, so he just said the first thing that came to his mind. "She would do something as soon as she comes home! Just this time, I was quicker than her!"

"If you keep this up, the storage room next to the kitchen will be your room for the next few years," Carlisle warned and pointed downwards to where said room was located on the ground floor.

Edward inhaled sharply as he really didn't like the prospect and the picture that was forming in his father's mind. "That room is tiny, I wouldn't even be able to fit all my CDs in there! Not even half of it, Carlisle!" the bronze-haired boy protested, his eyes as wide as they would go. "It doesn't even have a window!"

Edward liked his windows. A lot.

While Palmer was a little town that was lacking the shops and excitement of a megacity, the scenery around it was breathtaking. The mountains and the woods held so much to see, during every hunt or walk you would find something new that would excite you. Well, not Emmett, naturally... no matter where they moved to, that oaf trampled everything Edward was stupid enough to praise for its beauty.

A rare flower?

Squish.

A big, strikingly beautiful toadstool?

Bam.

A huge, full-grown, bright yellow banana slug?

Stomp.

Nevertheless, the view from his room on the topmost level was amazing and that was something Emmett couldn't destroy. You could see the woods, the snow-capped mountains... everything. It was so calming and beautiful and Edward would never grow tired of watching the outside world from his window.

The blonde man pulled him from his thoughts when he briefly cleared his throat and spoke again. "Then why are you risking losing your big room with the large window front upstairs?"

"Carlisle, come on... you know she always steals the bigger room right from underneath my nose. I'm sick of it! Her room is almost double as big as mine!"

The father of five was starting to lose his patience, but tried to keep his voice even to make sure that his son would calm down and at least try to listen to reason. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe it was you who said that the size of the room doesn't matter as long as your things fit in there and you have a nice view? Your room up there has the very best view, Edward, it's secluded so you have your privacy and can listen to your music as loudly as you wish. Your mother talked to all of you to make sure you would get the room you wanted. Why is that not good enough for you anymore?"

"She always gets the bigger room!" he retorted like he hadn't heard what his father had just said. Esme had paid special attention to his wishes, and he loved his room... but he somehow didn't like that Rosalie would love hers just as much as he loved his.

"Because it's not just her room, but both hers and Emmett's. Two people. They need a little more space, because they share that room. But maybe you forgot what sharing means."

Edward ground his jaw when he heard what his father thought but didn't voice at the moment.

Carlisle was convinced that he was just in one of his moods lately. Not being able to bicker with his siblings was driving him insane and so he concocted a plan that would guarantee him a big bang as soon as Rose and Emmett would return from their vacation.

_Geez, Carlisle... you are so far off the mark, it's ridiculous really._

"They have their own bathroom... and it's big!" he countered.

"Edward, you also have a bathroom to yourself. You said you didn't want too many doors in your room as they would take up the space you'd need for your CD shelves. Your bathroom is the one in the hallway, just like you wanted it. I don't understand why you suddenly changed your mind and now despise everything your mother had so lovingly planned out for you."

Edward huffed.

Crossing his arms over his chest, his eyes darkened as he listened in on his father's exasperated thoughts and felt his anger rising.

Carlisle was sick and tired of arguing with him, because according to him, he was being childish and refused to see reason.

_What a father you are, Carlisle..._

And then, before he could stop himself, Edward rolled his eyes.

Carlisle did have a lot of patience and he was also very tolerant and understanding, but he absolutely detested eye-rolling. It was one of the most disrespectful things anyone could do while speaking to someone and he knew that Edward knew. Rolling your eyes instead of listening or giving adequate answers was in most cases the end of any conversation between father and child in this family.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't whip you right now."

"You need to go to work," Edward tentatively replied, which made Carlisle pull up his sleeve to reveal his wrist watch, glance at it to check the time and then clench his jaw.

An exasperated sigh escaped him. "Let me tell you one more time: This bedroom is not yours, so you will put your sibling's things back in here before I come home from work, or you will be one very sorry, little boy. Mark my words, Edward."

The sullen boy held his breath while he thought about his father's clear warning - he would have no choice but to obey if he wanted to spare himself a very unpleasant trip to his father's study.

His defiance however, had still not diminished in the least. "You're always taking her side, no matter what!"

Not deeming this attempt of a protest worth an answer, Carlisle just walked back to the door and turned around one last time to say, "I'm leaving now. I'm done talking to a bratty child, so get that attitude in check and put Rose and Emmett's belongings back in here where they belong. Ask Alice or Jasper for help if you have trouble carrying the furniture or don't know where everything goes. And if you're done before I return from work, I will forget this ever happened. I'll see you later, son."

Listening to the sound of his father's footsteps fading away, Edward just stood there in the middle of the room, the corners of his mouth turned down and his forehead wrinkled in displeasure.

He really didn't want to spend his afternoon carrying his sibling's furniture around. It wasn't even his, so why should he care where it was?

With a huff, he turned around and walked over to the window to gaze out. The windows on this side of the room were facing their still slightly unkempt backyard, and Edward could see the parts where Esme wanted to plant a few bushes and trees to seam their property as well as the little, ugly woodshed that she despised so very much... it was old, rotten and very close to falling apart. Esme was already planning on getting it removed - she'd let Emmett do it, as he enjoyed wrecking things. And while he would be taking the shed apart, he wouldn't be able to break anything valuable in the meantime. Win-win.

But everyone knew that Emmett couldn't be distracted so easily... it was more likely that the invitation to break something would lead to a lot more broken things in and around the house.

He snickered at the thought until he realised that he was actually still angry.

Oh, Carlisle could be so mean and unreasonable...

Edward heard the front door being opened and closed downstairs, and then the sound of Carlisle opening the trunk of his Mercedes and putting his bag in. He shut it a moment later and walked over to the driver's door. As soon as he was seated behind the wheel and shut the door, Edward grabbed the remote for his music station and switched it on.

A grin spread out across his face when the car's engine sprang to life just as the music started.

And as though he had already forgotten the talk with his father and the warning that had followed, he flung himself down in the rocking chair that he had put by the floor-length window and closed his eyes, enjoying the prospect of having his father out of the house and away for the next few hours.

* * *

"Edward, are you sure you want to go to Anchorage now?"

"Yes, of course I'm sure. Why shouldn't I?" the bronze-haired boy asked and stared at his older brother like he had just grown a second head.

Fine, he was sure that his siblings might have heard Carlisle reprimanding him before he left for work, but did they really know why? Hm, Alice might... but Jasper had probably no clue and it was none of his business.

He was old enough to make his own decisions, and right now he wanted to go to Anchorage with them. Period.

"Because," Alice threw in while she stepped around her mate, grabbing his hand in the process and giggling when the soldier lifted it up to his lips and placed a soft kiss on her knuckles, "because Carlisle told you to do something."

He blinked his eyes at her like she had forgotten a very important fact here. "And Carlisle will be at work for exactly how long?"

"At least another four hours," the little pixie replied.

Leaning back against the newel post of the stairs, he nodded his head. "Yes. It takes maybe... an hour to drive there and an hour back, so why shouldn't four hours be enough time for a little trip?"

The pixie distorted her lips. "I need a little more time than that."

"For shopping?"

"For shopping," she affirmed and grabbed her jacket from the coat hook. Jasper, being the Southern gentleman he always has been, took it from her and helped her put it on.

She spun around and gave him a sweet, little kiss on the lips in a way of saying thank you.

Jasper bowed his head and smirked at his mate, making her smile at him.

Annoyed with their lovey-dovey behaviour, Edward cleared his throat. "There aren't even that many shops, Alice," he informed her, hoping that she'd just believe him, even though Anchorage wasn't really that small... in fact, it was the biggest city in Alaska. Still, it was smaller than her favourite shopping destinations - the metropolises of the world, of course.

She glanced at him over her shoulder before she just shrugged her shoulders and grinned.

Edward let out a long groan, knowing full well that she could even spent an entire hour at a boring stationary shop... she was gifted when it came to wasting time with things that were less than unimportant.

"Edward," she interrupted his thoughts and placed one of her dainty hands on his forearm, "I really don't think you should join us."

"Don't tell me what to do," he snapped at her and jerked his arm away, but quickly regretted it when Jasper just raised an eyebrow and stood up a little straighter, just like Carlisle tended to do when someone's attitude was bordering on disrespectful.

He glanced away from his brother and gave his dark-haired sister an apologetic smile that seemed to soothe Jasper's nerves and make him relax again.

"Sorry, Allie... I need new books and sheet music. I have nothing to do at the moment and it's driving me insane."

"I know something we could do that would keep you busy for a little while. We'll just go shopping afterwards," she suggested, pulled her scarf off the banister and draped it around her neck. "The trip will be more fun for you if you complete your task now."

She knew exactly what had happened between him and Carlisle, and Edward narrowed his eyes at her. He didn't need yet another person to tell him what he was _supposed_ to do...

"No," he hissed, "I want to go now. It's my decision."

Sighing, the tiny girl shook her head and took a few steps to the side to check her reflection in the mirror. She was obviously done trying to _help_ him.

"I'm the one driving the car, and I'm the only one with a license here," the smirking soldier threw in and jingled the keys in his coat pocket for effect. They had just moved to Alaska, and both Alice and Edward were unfortunately not 'old enough' to hold a driver's license. Rose and Emmett were still on vacation, enjoying their time before the serious side of life - or better yet: the fake side of life - would start again.

While Jasper usually tried not to get involved in anything that wasn't his business, he deemed his wife's suggestion to be very reasonable when it brought such a reaction from his brother. And the way Edward was talking to Alice, he seriously considered not letting him join them.

"I'm sorry, Jasper," the younger Cullen retreated and scrunched up his face before he said, "I just need to get out of here for a while. Please."

Jasper was contemplating what to do, but reluctantly gave in when he felt Edward's pleading vibes. "Fine. But don't you make me responsible if we don't get back in time and you end up being in trouble... or whatever else happens."

"Why would I? No, don't worry, Jazz, I won't," he assured him and felt a smile tuck at the corners of his lips when he perceived his brother's thoughts right before he would say them out loud.

"Okay...," Jasper muttered, "well, then let's go."

* * *

****Edward has remarkable decision-making skills, doesn't he? :) ****

**And before I forget, this story is going to have six chapters in total. I know, it's not much, but this was just something that came to my mind and it's unfortunately not enough material for a 'big' story. I'm currently working on typing the final chapter and decided to start posting now.**

**Let me know what you think of the first chapter, and thanks for reading everyone!**


	2. Chapter 2

"Alice," Edward urged after glancing at his watch for the utmost time in just a few minutes, "please, hurry up."

The spiky-haired girl continued what she was doing and didn't look like she would want to get a move on.

"What is it, Edward? Do you want to go back home already, hm?" Alice asked as she was rifling through the racks of pullovers, not even looking up at her impatient brother. She was on a mission here, and she didn't have time for Edward, who seemed to regret having joined them instead of doing as he was told.

He crossed his arms over his chest like a petulant child when he perceived her thoughts and certainly did not agree. "No, I'm just getting bored in here."

"Are you sure you're not nervous?" she queried with a knowing smile, then headed for a pile of plain collar shirts to sort through.

"Because of Carlisle?" He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, then wiped a strand of hair out of his eyes and leaned with his shoulder against the wall. "Pfft, no."

Alice just let out a snort.

"I'm really not concerned or nervous about how he'll react. He's always lenient when we move, and there's still Esme."

"You cannot always count on her to plead your case," she replied and shrugged her shoulders. "She'll agree with Carlisle."

Edward's eyebrows knitted together. "Why would she?"

"Because you basically kicked two of her babies out of the house," she explained to him and let out a heavy sigh like she didn't approve of what he had done and couldn't understand how her brother could still be so daft.

_Well... hm._ "I'm sure they'd love to have a house to themselves once again. It's been a while."

She turned her head and looked at him for the first time in over forty minutes. Apparently now it wasn't too difficult to peel her eyes away from the clothes. "You put their things into the rotten woodshed in our backyard," she commented dryly and pushed her tongue against the inside of her cheek. "I don't think that would be Rose's definition of her absolute dream house."

Yes, Edward had moved Em's and Rosalie's belongings to the old, wonky shed in the garden, and put his brand-new, totally awesome sound system into their room. No, he did not plan on completely moving into that room, he had just decided that he wanted... both. Their little palace was right underneath his own room, and while the view wasn't as breathtaking as his as it wasn't on the topmost level, it was still nice. And he wanted it to himself.

Edward gave her a lopsided smirk. "I think it fits her nasty personality just perfect."

"I know someone who's showing some nasty personality right now, and it's not Rosalie...," she hinted while her eyes widened, then bundled the twelve shirts, six pairs of jeans and eight vests into her little arms and carried them over to the changing room to Jasper.

"Oh, nobody asked you," he grumbled and turned away, then started picking at the front of a thick wool pullover that was lying neatly folded on a table to his left.

He knew that Esme wouldn't necessarily side with him... she had been excited to help when Rose told her what kind of furniture she wanted to have and where everything should go... but Esme should at least calm Carlisle when he'd come home and see that he hadn't done as he was told. They had just moved – Carlisle always cut them some slack when they moved, as settling into a new place and starting all over was straining for all of them.

"Edward?" Alice said when she returned, her eyes lacking their usual excitement and gleam. "There's a storm coming."

Crossing his arms, he asked, "And what, pray tell, does that have to do with me?" he groused.

She headed for a different shelf now and unfolded a mint coloured shirt before she held it up to muster it. "Oh..." she said absent-mindedly, "nothing really. Just thought you'd like to know."

He rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Come find me at the book store when you're done here, Alice," was all he said before he turned around and headed for the door of the little men's clothes shop. He had figured it would be a brilliant idea to stay close to Alice to see if she'd get any visions of Carlisle or their mother, but the little shopaholic was only focussing on new clothes for her mate. The poor guy was trapped inside the changing room with all the things Alice wanted him to try on, and Edward had grown tired of waiting for his brother to come with him to the book shop on the other side of the street.

The little bell over the door jingled when he left the store and he stepped outside onto the pavement.

The sharp wind that was suddenly whistling around his ears made him scrunch up his nose in disgust of the food smells that were wafting over from the old little diner at the corner, and he just pulled the collar of his jacket up to breathe in the clean smell of laundry detergent and home. No matter how much time he spent around humans, food smells were still something he found to be very unappetising.

He quickly crossed the street and ducked his head when the first rain drops wetted his hair and splashed onto his bare hands, and he wiped them on the sides of his coat.

Glancing up at the grey sky, he just let out a sigh before he vanished into the warm and quiet book store.

* * *

Holding his bag protectively over his head to shield himself from the heavy downpour, the doctor quickly sprinted over to his car. The severe rain whipped down on him with brute force and he had to suppress the urge to make use of his vampire speed. He evaded a few puddles, then made it to his Mercedes in record time and sighed when he was seated behind the smooth steering wheel without looking like he had just fallen into a river and almost drowned.

The rain drops thudded onto the metal roof of his car, and Carlisle shook his head to get some of the water out of his hair, then ran his hands through his blonde mane and tried to make it look more or less decent again. He wanted to see his wife in a moment, after all.

But it was a lost cause, and he blew out a breath before he grabbed the seatbelt with his right hand and buckled up.

The day had been a little more stressful than he had anticipated, but nevertheless he was in a good mood, now that work was over and he was sitting in his beloved car on his way home to his wife and children.

The black Mercedes sprang to life when he turned the key, and the soft purring of the engine was so calming after all the yelling, crying and arguing at the hospital.

_Some people were just so..._

He shook his head to rid his mind of the day's happenings and turned the radio on to have some distraction during the drive and be able to listen to something different than the pouring rain.

He steered the car off the hospital's parking lot, then turned it onto the road that would lead him home to his wonderful family and accelerated.

The drive was boring, but he suddenly felt chipper when a song from the sixties came on, and he hummed along, enjoying the tune.

Soon he would see his mate and put his arms around her, and then the night would be spent by the fireplace maybe... with Emmett gone, it was safe to use it. Perhaps they'd decide on getting it changed to an electric fire, but that could wait as long as the curious cub was travelling around with Rose.

With his thoughts circling around their new, cosy home and his family, Carlisle also felt a hint of sadness. Hopefully Edward had overcome his stubborn phase and had done as he was told... he really was not in the mood for playing the bad cop today. And the way the weather had changed, it would be very unfortunate if Edward hadn't done what he was supposed to do.

He was glad when the lonely gravel road to their property came into view. Deciding that worrying about what would await him at home was a waste of time as he could still worry once he was indeed home, he zoned everything out and concentrated on the road ahead.

Now was really not the time to get distracted. The rain was getting heavier, if that was even possible.

Realising that his car was more important than getting home as quickly as possible, he slowed down and watched their house slowly come into view. It was dark, except for the foyer. He could see a faint light coming from the narrow windows on either side of the front door.

Hopefully Esme had made it home before him since he hoped that he'd be able to see her in just a few short moments time.

A groan left his lips when the garage didn't open up, no matter how often or how hard he pressed down on the button on the remote. One of the kids must have stolen his batteries again for the TV remote, MP3-players or whatever else they thought was more important at that moment than their old father being able to park his cherished car in the garage.

Oh, well, there's no use in getting worked up about that now.

Parking his brand-new Mercedes in front of the garage - it really wouldn't hurt to have the rain wash away the dead flies on the windshield - he grabbed his bag and tightened his coat around his shoulders as he got out of the car, locked the doors and ran over to the front door.

Before he could even fish his keys from his trouser pocket, the door opened up, revealing his beautiful wife, already with a towel in hand and a beautiful smile on her lips.

"It's raining," she stated and gave him a kiss before she took the bag from his hand and took a step to the side to let him enter.

"Yes, it is," he affirmed with a chuckle, then shed out of his coat and hung it up on the coat stand to dry.

"Carlisle, do you have any idea where our children are?" she suddenly asked, and he turned back around and shook his head.

Her forehead wrinkled slightly. "I just came back a few minutes ago, but there's no one home."

Carlisle raised his eyebrows as he looked into Esme's pale face. "Maybe they've gone on a hunt," he guessed while driving his hands through his wet hair in another hopeless attempt to make it look like it was supposed to look.

"What are they supposed to catch when it's raining cats and dogs, Carlisle? And they took Emmy's Jeep."

"Cats and dogs, maybe?" he tried and received a light slap on his shoulder.

"Carlisle," she chided.

He just shook his head and gave a shrug. "Have you tried giving Alice a call?"

"No, I just came home when the phone rang. Oh, Carlisle, guess what! Rosalie called and told me they booked a flight to Paris to visit Disneyland," she told him and when she realised she was still holding a fluffy, white towel in her hands, she draped it over her mate's head.

"Emmett's idea?" he queried with a laugh and towelled off his wet mop of hair.

She giggled. "Sounds like it, doesn't it? But she seemed quite excited herself. Emmy gets to have fun at the amusement park and then the next day Rose can enjoy a long shopping trip with him. Paris is perfect for these two. And I think a short trip to Europe sounds like fun, I'm happy for them."

"When was the last time we went to Paris, love?"

"Three years ago, I think," she replied thoughtfully, before her lips turned into a pout. "Oh Carlisle, that's just way too long. We should book a flight as well. Let's meet up with Emmett and Rosalie."

His eyes widened. "Now? I just came home from my first day at the hospital, Esme. And you said yourself that there are still some things you wanted to get done around the house."

The corners of her lips turned down. "But I haven't seen them in two weeks and-"

"I know you miss them," he tried to soothe her and put a hand on her shoulder, "but let's give the children some time to themselves. They are fine and maybe they need a little break from their old parents."

Esme's eyes darkened and she stepped away from him. "I'm old?" she asked, her arms crossed and her foot tapping on the floor.

_Okay, that didn't come out like it should have..._

"No, it's just-" "Do I look old? Huh, Carlisle?"

He took a step back, his hands raised in a placating manner. "You look perfect, there's no other way to describe it, love, and with every day we spend together, I love you even more, if that is even possible."

She smiled and he was glad that he had found the right words to make her happy once again. He loved seeing her smile.

And to make her smile even more, he added, "We could go to Paris next month, what do you think? Just you and me, for an extended weekend."

The petite woman flung her arms around her mate's neck and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Oh, I'd love that, darling!"

_Yes!_

They stood in the foyer with their arms around each other, completely lost in their loving embrace, when suddenly a loud crashing sound made them gasp and draw away from each other.

* * *

The windscreen wipers squeaked over the smooth glass in rapid succession, almost helpless against the heavy downfall. Jasper groaned when Edward noisily ground his teeth again, just like he had been doing for the past forty minutes. The sound annoyed him almost even more than the boy's sulky emotions.

"I'm not sulky," Edward snapped from the back seat.

Jasper shook his head before he squinted his eyes to see through the blur the heavy rain caused. "Yes, you are," he replied, sounding almost like he was talking to himself.

"It's not my fault that your wife takes forever to buy a few lousy shirts, it's also not my fault that you are apparently short-sighted and drive like an old lady, and it's most definitely not my fault that you got a ticket for parking in a handicapped spot."

Jasper let out a short laugh, then concentrated on the road again – or at least tried to. "I am not the one in a bad mood here, Edward, so please stop trying to take your frustration out on us."

Crossing his arms over his chest, the mindreader just turned his head and glared out of the window, then attempted to decipher the next road sign through the heavy rain whipping against the glass.

Fine... because of the rain he couldn't see very much even though vampire vision was a million times better than the plain human vision. That obviously turned all the other cars into ticking time bombs at the moment, and he wished his brother all the luck in the world that he'd react quickly enough before someone would drive into them and destroy Emmett's beloved Jeep.

But maybe a little car accident would be enough to distract his parents... no matter how hard their skins were and how indestructible their bodies, Esme and Carlisle would be concerned and shaken if they heard that they had been in a car accident.

He groaned and shook his head.

How stupid of him to wish for an accident... but he was feeling stressed.

In order to take his mind off things, he reached into one of the plastic bags lying on the seat next to him, and he pulled out a book about overcoming anger issues and controlling one's temper that he had purchased for his blonde sister.

She might learn a thing or two, so the money was definitely not wasted on this one. But he had trouble concentrating on the words, and ended up staring out of the window more than actually reading and understanding the introduction.

His knee was nervously moving up and down the closer they got to their new home. He wasn't sure if he could believe Alice's visions from before they had entered Palmer, but now that she was stubbornly focussing on Rose and Em to see if they'd bring her a present from their travels, he was feeling more and more agitated and unwell.

Maybe Carlisle would work late that day, it would only make sense, especially during a weather like that. Accidents happen so they needed all the help they could get. Besides, Carlisle was still new, so he'd need longer to get acquainted with everyone and everything, right? Right?

Hopefully he would.

And the doctor was always eager to help, especially because he never tired.

Now Edward felt a few waves of regret.

He had spent the day stubbornly refusing to do as he was told, figuring that he could just ignore his father's orders until the final warning. And even when Carlisle gave him his final warning, he'd still be able to talk him out of it. Moving did that to him... it made him soft. Rosalie and Alice always got whatever they wanted when they had to leave a place and settle down somewhere else... so why shouldn't he?

He did have the best room in the entire house, Rosalie and Emmett's was a plain joke in comparison to his beautiful residence up there... but still.

A little voice in the back of his head told him that maybe, just maybe, Carlisle was already home like he should be when his shift was over, and so he must have already noticed that he hadn't followed his direct orders. And maybe, just maybe, he was not going to go the three strikes and you're out route...

"Dammit," was all the bronze-haired mindreader could say at the moment.

"What's wrong, Edward?" Jasper asked innocently and glanced at him over his shoulder. He knew he was nervous, he had sensed it all throughout the drive, after all...

"Nothing," Edward hissed.

"Doesn't feel like it's nothing," he mumbled with raised eyebrows, then continued to squint out of the windscreen.

Edward huffed. "What do you know?"

"Well, he doesn't know everything... but I know something crucial. You haven't brought the furniture back into Rose and Emmett's room like you were told to."

"That's no reason to be nervous," Jasper remarked and snorted. "Just bring it back down from your room now and all will be well. We'll help you."

"Erm...," Alice threw in, sounding a little timid, "Jazzy, he didn't put it in his room."

Jasper frowned as he glanced at his wife. "I thought he wanted to switch."

"No, not really...," she said, shaking her head, then drew a sharp breath as a vision entered her mind and made her distort her face just a second later.

Edward was too nervous to focus on his sister's thoughts and what she was seeing, instead he just scooted further down in his seat and kept his eyes fixed on the backrest of the passenger seat.

Oh well, he'd just get yelled at... or maybe not even that. Esme was home and she didn't like to see her cubs in trouble. She wouldn't allow Carlisle to get mad at him.

Or would she?

Nah...

"So...," Jasper asked with a frown, "where is it?"

"That soon won't matter any more," Alice replied cryptically, making her husband look at her weirdly.

Edward sat up straighter again and glanced nervously around as he was hit by a sense of foreboding caused by her peculiar statement.

Jasper chased the car up the winding road, and even through the thick rain and the darkness Edward could vaguely make out the silhouette of a car standing in front of the garage.

"Oh look!" Alice suddenly called out and pointed in the direction of their house, or more precisely: at the black car.

Edward was feeling heavy dread and it only got worse when a big smile appeared on his sister's face and she added, "Daddy's home."

* * *

**Yep, Daddy's home, and guess who's not happy about that? :) Hehe, Edward's stoopid...**

**Thank you sooo much for reading and leaving a review! I won't be able to post the next chapter until Monday because I'm away for the weekend, but you'll stay tuned, aight?**

**Let me know what you think guys! And I am glad that you enjoy the story so far, yay! :D**


	3. Chapter 3

Carlisle and Esme stared at each other with wide open eyes, having no clue what had just happened but being equally puzzled by the loud crashing sound that had disturbed their little, peaceful moment.

In search of the cause of the noise and assuming where it might have come from, they hurried over into the living room. The most vacated part of the house looked like it should, nothing unusual, but the sound had only come from this direction, not from this room.

They headed for the large French windows that opened up onto their patio, and even before they reached it and were able to look out to see what had happened, Carlisle felt a sinking feeling in his stomach.

_Oh... oh, please no..._

The trees outside were bending and swaying due to the gusts of wind that seemed to increase in violence; the howling even in here loud and threatening.

It was a good thing that real thunderstorms were a rarity in this part of the country, but that did not spare them from the occasional storms and strong hurricane-force winds they had to deal with right now.

The severe rain was still pouring down heavily and combined with the darkness outside, the reason for the crashing sound wasn't immediately visible – if you didn't know where to look.

But Carlisle knew.

He swallowed heavily as he stood there gazing out, a hand rubbing over his chin in a nervous and thoughtful way.

"Love...," he whispered with an uneasy voice, then cleared his throat. "Do you happen to know what Rose and Emmett's room looks like at the moment?"

Esme had been looking in the completely wrong direction, but her mate's question made her stop scanning the surroundings and turn to face him.

Frowning, she started to shake her head. "I haven't been upstairs yet... why?"

* * *

While the garage door pulled up to let them enter, Edward contemplated just getting out of the car now and run into the forest. No saying 'Hi' to his father, no carrying the stupid shopping bags inside... just climbing out of the car and taking off.

Come on, there was nothing weird about going on a hunt at night - he was a vampire with a healthy appetite, Carlisle should be glad that he took such good care of his needs... and if Carlisle had just come home, he maybe needed a moment to cool off and relax. Hospital work could be stressful and if he had already noticed that he hadn't done as he was told, it would be for the best if he'd give his father the time he needed to collect his thoughts and calm down.

But to be fair, it had only been the _first_ warning! What kind of a father would only give one warning, and what kind of a son would jump up and do as told right then and there?

Carlisle would be so shocked, he might have a heart attack if they'd suddenly start doing things directly when they were told... and besides, you shouldn't spoil your parents. They'd only get used to it, and then they expect it every, single time.

This wasn't about him own hide, Edward was just concerned about his siblings... there was no way Emmett or even Rosalie would ever manage to do something immediately when they were told. Their stubbornness overshadowed their intelligence, and so he needed to watch out for them, for their own good.

Aww, the dark woods looked so inviting in the heavy rain...

While he was busy dreaming about a leisurely run through the forest, his sister's voice cut right through his musings and pulled him roughly from his thoughts.

"Edward," Alice tzked and turned in her seat to give him a disapproving look.

But Edward pretended he hadn't noticed it and instead glared at the garage door that was slowly being pulled up for them. He would prefer for them to park outside, behind their father's car maybe...

Jasper smirked and glanced at his wife, then steered the vehicle into the garage and parked it in its designated spot. The moment he turned the key to kill the engine, Edward felt... not good. A little nauseous maybe... sick to his stomach. Yes, that would be the right way to describe what he felt at the moment. He definitely needed to head for the woods, he was probably starving without knowing and that's why he was experiencing such unpleasant emotions.

And, _oh look_! Esme was home too...

"Please stop, Edward."

"Hm?" He snapped his head around and looked at his brother like he was surprised to see him here.

"I feel like I'm about to throw up, thanks to you," Jasper let him know before he took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Please, just stop."

Edward knew why his brother was feeling assaulted at the moment. Wrought-up emotions were surrounding the poor empath, and they weren't just coming from him.

Well, Alice spared her mate, as she was more or less relaxed. She probably already knew what was going on at home and what was about to happen soon. But since she was always good and could do no wrong in their parents' eyes, she had nothing to be concerned about.

Heck, she actually wasn't always good, but she managed to convince their parents that she was, and so she never found herself in any kind of trouble with them. They didn't suspect her of having done anything she wasn't supposed to do, they didn't tell her to behave all the time and they didn't punish her after just one warning.

Sometimes Edward really wanted to be a girl... girls were spoiled beyond belief and could do whatever they wanted.

Rose was being horrible day in and day out, but was she in trouble because of it? No, of course not... all she ever got were a few words of reprimand or maybe a warning. But that's mostly about it.

_It's just not fair..._

Jasper walked around the car and opened the trunk a moment later, then grabbed a few bags of whatever Alice had decided to buy this time. With her purchases in hand, he nodded over to her, then slowly made his way to the door leading into the house. His face was unreadable and he didn't breathe - the emotions in the house were unpleasant and difficult to endure for him when it wasn't just one person feeling off.

But no matter what Carlisle and Esme were feeling, the empath didn't seem like he wanted to change their emotions for them. He was too respectful for that, and figured they had a reason to be feeling less than happy at the moment.

Alice and Jasper disappeared in the house, and now it was only Edward in the garage, still sitting with his butt firmly pressed into the comfy back seat of Emmett's Jeep. He hadn't even unbuckled himself yet...

But there was no use in stalling...

Blowing out a puff of air, he grabbed the buckle and unfastened the seat belt.

Could he really run before Carlisle would notice what he was doing?

A wave of nervousness welled up inside of him, but he managed to suppress it a little by convincing himself that he had nothing to fear.

_After all I'm a grown man who can make his own decisions, and I refuse to bend to anyone's will! Rose is a hag and Emmett doesn't count, and I can do whatever the hell I want, ha!_

The nervousness became stronger again.

_Okay... maybe it isn't entirely true and I cannot always do whatever I want._

Edward sighed.

Now with his siblings out of earshot, he quietly scrambled out of the car and slowly, very slowly, made his way to the door on the side - the one leading out into their back yard.

He grabbed the door handle to open the door, but just as quickly as the determination to make a run for it had come, it left him again and he all of a sudden didn't feel nervous anymore.

That feeling was completely gone.

Instead he felt confident that the problem would solve itself – _Heck, what problem?_ \- and that his parents would understand, even though he could clearly see in their minds what they were seeing at the moment and how they felt about it.

_Oh, whatever! Who cares about that now? Have fun and enjoy your life to the fullest, man!_

With a big, goofy, Emmett-y kind of grin, he dismissed the idea of taking off and spun around, then skipped over to the door on the other side of the garage that lead into the house.

* * *

The parents still stood by the window, gazing out with wide eyes like they were petrified or mesmerised – they bore a striking resemblance to deer caught in headlight.

But Carlisle was a slightly angry deer.

When Jasper and Alice entered the house, they were obviously still shocked and unable to move, because they didn't react to the sounds of the garage door being opened and the soft footsteps that were heading their way.

But it was also possible that they just didn't turn around because they knew that Edward had still not made his way inside.

"Hi Daddy," Alice greeted her father in her sweet, melodic voice and gave him a peck on the cheek when he leaned down a little. "I'm sorry your day at the hospital wasn't as good as you hoped it would be. Tomorrow is going to be a lot better, I've seen it."

"Hm-hm," he muttered and let his hand run through her short, black hair, his eyes however still fixed on the shed outside. "Thank you, sweetheart. Did you have fun today?" he asked absent-mindedly.

She cringed a little as vision after vision was trying to push itself into her mind, but she blocked them the best she could. "We went to Anchorage... it was nice," the girl let her father know while her eyes were roaming the room to distract herself from the uncomfortable atmosphere that made even more glimpses of the future assault her mind and that she really just wanted to ignore.

Hesitantly she added, "I'll put the things I got for you two on your bed, okay?"

"Sure, honey, thank you," Esme said now and reached past her husband to run a hand over her girl's arm in a way of thanking her. Her eyes, however, were also not moving from the spot that attracted her and Carlisle's attention.

Jasper was right behind his wife, his muscles all tensed up due to the unpleasant emotions invading him, rolling off of his dear parents. And his brother.

Alice looked at him over her shoulder, and he pushed all of the shopping bags he was carrying into his left hand to place his other one on her shoulder. Quickly he led her to the other side of the room just as their bronze-haired brother reached the foyer.

Edward was still looking like a kid on Christmas Day, all smiley and in an extremely good mood, when suddenly his father sensed his presence.

"Edward," Carlisle said in a low voice without turning around. He lifted his right hand and by curling two fingers he beckoned his son closer, knowing full well he was here and would see the little, unmistakably gesture.

The mindreader's heart sank to his boots, his smile and the buoyancy all of a sudden gone.

Oh, of course _now_ Jasper would stop influencing him...

_Thanks a lot, brother!_

"Son, come here," he said a little stricter when his boy didn't immediately comply but just stood there, seemingly contemplating what to do.

Despite the warning undertone in his father's voice, Edward took his time to make his way over to his parents by the window. Little, excruciatingly slow steps that were eventually going to carry him over to them, but would still give him some time to check their thoughts and come up with a fitting explanation for what they were assuming had happened.

But the walk to where his parents were standing wasn't as long as he would have liked and so he reached them still way too soon despite the stalling technique he had chosen to use.

He came to a halt next to his mother, seeing as she was less likely to suddenly flip and yell at him, and even though he dreaded it, he lifted his head to see what his parents were looking at.

_Shit._

"Son...," the leader said after having briefly cleared his throat, "I really, really hope that there was nothing in this shed anymore before it collapsed."

Esme turned her head to gaze at her son standing next to her, but the boy settled for bowing his head instead of looking at either of them or even answering his father.

"Was it?" she prompted softly.

As he still didn't reply, a low growl could be heard, coming from deep within Carlisle's throat.

"Ssh, darling," Esme soothed him, then turned back towards her son. "Edward."

Having both of his parents stare at him and waiting for an answer was not in the least bit helpful for the mindreader as the nervousness that it brought somehow disabled his brainstorming abilities.

So instead of coming up with something witty or an explanation for why he hadn't been able to follow his father's orders, he let out an angry snort and yelled, "Come on, it's not my fault this happened! I didn't know there was a storm coming!"

In the blink of an eye, the atmosphere in the room changed from bad to worse.

Carlisle put his hands on his hips and turned to the side to fix his firstborn with a stern glare, and Edward immediately regretted having lost his temper.

Jasper took in a sharp breath and subtly seized his wife's elbow with his hand, quietly pulling her away from the scene. Soon the atmosphere would become unendurable, even though it was already extremely hard to endure, and he decided that they didn't need to be caught in the line of fire for whatever reason. Alice seemed to agree with him, because she didn't resist but instead picked up her pace an was now the one leading the way.

The garage door could be heard a moment later, and then the sound of a car being started.

Edward could have stomped his foot.

_Cowards._

"It's not your fault?" Carlisle queried in a forced calm tone of voice.

"I don't make the weather!"

The coven leader ground his teeth at that exclamation and made to take a step towards the boy, but Esme quickly stepped in.

"Carlisle," she soothed her mate again, placing a hand against his forearm to tell him that he needed to stay calm and let her do the talking now. When he gave her a nod, she turned her head to meet her son's gaze and then tried to coax an answer from him.

"Edward, your siblings' furniture is not out there, is it?" she asked gently. "You brought it back inside like you were told, didn't you?"

"This was clearly an accident!" the boy retorted and pointed out of the window while his eyes were darting about like the ones of a wild, caged animal looking for a way to escape.

"You'd do well to answer the question, son," Carlisle reminded him, his voice resembling a low growl. He didn't like it when the children were willingly ignoring their mother.

"I... Mom, I didn't know it would collapse!" Edward was practically whining now. "You have to believe me!"

"Edward," she said and let out a sigh as she started to shake her head from one side to the other. "You know that we wanted to get rid of it because it's so old and rotten."

"Then why is it still there?" he asked angrily and motioned with his hand towards the ugly pile of wet planks in their backyard.

"Because Emmett likes to wreck things and this was his welcome home surprise."

_And now he and Rose would get yet another welcome home surprise..._

But wouldn't it be absolutely hilarious if he had started destroying the shed while their things were still in there?

The thought might have made him snicker if he wouldn't be standing in front of his parents who would rip him to shreds if he'd laugh in a situation like this now. They just wouldn't see the humour in it.

"Now, where is your siblings' furniture?" Esme asked.

Again, Edward contemplated not answering, but that would unfortunately not get his parents off his back. They were clearly expecting an answer and might lose their patience if he'd stall any longer.

Another thought struck him. He could say that it was back in Rose and Em's room... they would go upstairs and check, and in the meantime he could sneak out of the house and take a look at the damage or just run.

However, he had known Carlisle for quite a while now, and the man would just seize him by the scruff of his neck and drag him upstairs with them. And since Carlisle didn't like being lied to...

_Oh boy._

Distorting his lips, Edward lifted one shaky finger and pointed it at the woodshed that had still resembled a shed earlier that day. His eyes, however, were firmly squinted shut.

Still, he could practically hear Carlisle's jaw clench and unclench, and Edward quickly lowered his hand back to his side and glanced at him, before he wisely took a step back.

And then another one.

"You will go out there right now and see how bad the damage is," Carlisle ordered, one hand on his hip while the other one was motioning towards the woodshed. "I hope for your sake that we can safe some of your siblings' things."

Edward really didn't like the idea. And he really didn't like that his father was serious.

"But it's raining and my hair-"

"Edward!" Carlisle bellowed, "what did I just say?!"

Taking another step back, the boy scrunched up his face. "But I didn't break it, it's not my fault...," he moaned, again trying to make them see reason or at least get them to take pity on him.

Before Carlisle said anything in return, he stared at Edward like he was trying to practice a death glare on him. The only effect it had however, was that Edward hung his head and bit his lip.

"We'll talk about that later, Edward."

* * *

**I think I have to agree with Edward here... he doesn't make the weather ;) Tzk, silly Carlisle... after 300 years, the gears are starting to catch some rust, hm?**

**Thanks for reading and reviewing guys! Next chapter will be up soon, stay tuned! :D**


	4. Chapter 4

Just like he had dreaded going home and facing his father, Edward was now dreading walking over to the collapsed shed and see if Rose and Emmett's stuff was still more or less in one piece.

The problem was that the roof of the old and wonky shed was definitely not rainproof and judging by the look of it, it hadn't been for a few decades now. The cracks and glaring holes in the wooden walls and the roof were too big and the wood had thinned and broken off in several places. So they could already forget the couch, the overstuffed armchair and the big kind-sized mattress now... and since Rose preferred expensive and unique furniture, the wooden bedside tables and the coffee table, just like the sideboard and anything else that was made of wood, were probably damaged beyond repair. The fine wood had most likely swollen because of the never ceasing rainfall, and there was no way he could repair that.

He huffed.

This was all _Rosalie_'s fault.

Rosalie and her silly furniture. Why couldn't she just go to Ikea and buy something? A table is a table, a bed a bed... there's no need to spend thousands of dollars on something that you could get for less. Well, when it came to furniture that is... - cars were a completely different matter.

Edward glared at the grass-covered muddy ground, his shoes making disgusting squishy noises while he walked over to the place that would settle his fate.

He knew that nothing was salvageable, and he knew that Carlisle knew! God, what a waste of time!

Why would his coven leader still make him go over there and take a look at the damage? He didn't want to and he didn't care about Rosalie's things!

The rain was seeping through his clothes, his hair and face were wet. It was horrible being outside during a storm like that and while he usually didn't mind rain, he admittedly hated it with a passion when it was constantly whipping down on him and blurring his sight which was exactly what was happening now.

Edward would prefer to lie down on his wonderfully soft recliner and listen to some music, or just play the piano for a while. But no, instead of enjoying the cosiness of their wonderful home, his father sent him outside right when a storm was pummeling the area... and he was supposed to rescue his sister's belongings.

He reached the shed - or what was left of it - and scrunched up his nose after lifting a few planks and glancing underneath them.

Hm.

That did not look good for dear, old Rose.

But since Carlisle blamed him: It did not look good for his hide.

Almost all of the furniture was completely buried underneath the collapsed roof and the few pieces he could see from over here looked positively damaged due to the rain and the sudden weight of the waterlogged boards that had crashed down on them - he could only imagine what the rest looked like. And it wasn't just that the furniture was wet and broken in several places, but the muddy ground underneath was so soft and sludgy now, that everything had partly bogged. It had been raining and storming for hours after all.

Edward whimpered, feeling extremely sorry for himself.

What was he supposed to say now? What was he supposed to _do_?

Chewing on his lower lip, he tried to figure out a way to get out of this mess, and quick. The only problem was that he couldn't come up with anything as his mind remained blank.

Unfortunately he had absolutely no idea what would convince his parents now that he was not to blame for what had happened.

Maybe he should just cry – that's what the girls did when they were running the risk of being in trouble. And then Carlisle felt bad and consoled them, because he couldn't endure seeing a girl cry. Hey, maybe he also wouldn't be able to see his firstborn cry...

He glanced over his shoulder and could see his parents still standing by the window. With narrowed eyes and clenched jaws they were waiting for his reaction, waiting for him to come back.

_Hm, maybe crying wouldn't work..._

That did not look good for him.

He dropped the wooden boards, not really interested in checking all of the stupid things, then wiped his hands on the sides of his jeans and eventually turned around.

With his shoulders hanging and his head bowed, he slowly trotted back towards their house.

Water and mud were now seeping through the fabric of his shoes, and he cursed Alice for buying him a pair of sneakers and making him wear them. Leather was waterproof and so much more elegant, but because of these horrible things on his feet he felt like he was wading through a swamp on his way to his own execution.

Urgh.

While he made his way back over to the porch, he hazarded another glance at the house, but immediately regretted it. His parents hadn't moved from their spot - they were still standing by the windows, eyeing him like prison wards.

He really didn't want to face them now.

Well, he could still run, with the distance between them he had an advantage and could make good use of the little headstart... but sooner or later Carlisle would find him. He would find him and he would drag him home... and then he'd still need to take care his sister's lame things.

But how do you replace antique furniture? It was just ridiculous... she usually chose designer pieces, modern stuff... but this time she had wanted to furnish her room with old and antique things... things that you couldn't just get at the shop around the corner because they were one of a kind.

She had probably only done that to infuriate him. _What a -!_

There was no way in hell he could replace stuff like that.

_Damn you, Rose! Damn you and your horrible taste in furniture!_

Edward lifted his head again and wiped strands of wet hair out of his eyes. He could see Carlisle cross his arms over his chest and the look on his face turn darker the closer he got to the house. His eyes were narrowed into slits now as he watched him walk through the backyard and towards them.

But then all of the sudden - it must have been on impulse because Edward had no explanation for what happened next - he spun around and sprinted into the woods, feeling the cold wind whip around his ears and hearing it wheeze and howl like it was screaming at him to turn back around and stop running away from this.

But he didn't listen.

He ran faster and faster with no real destination in mind, his only goal was getting away from his fate as far and as quickly as possible.

There was only wind and rain and his hectic breathing for a short while, until he suddenly heard something else.

The distinct sounds of footsteps on the wet ground behind him met his ears, and it made him try to go even faster, knowing full well who it was that was following him now and knowing what would await him if he couldn't keep up the safe distance between him and his more than likely pissed off father.

Why did he run? Oh God, that was by far the most stupid and painful decision he could have ever made. He had run twice, and it had always ended in something he had sworn himself to never want a repeat of again.

And now he had done it again.

_Well, third time's a charm..._

But where would he go now? He wouldn't tire, but his father wouldn't either...

Edward wrecked his brain for an answer. Maybe... maybe he'd head over to Denali and hope that the sisters would keep him safe from his father's wrath? And Eleazar could have a word with him, the man would surely succeed in calming his old friend down and make him think clearly again. Because let's face it, whipping him for something silly such as putting his sister's ugly furniture into a woodshed and then running from an unjust punishment was just blown out of proportion... a verbal warning should be enough, he figured.

But the way Carlisle suddenly picked up his pace behind him told him otherwise...

Carlisle would obviously not agree with him, and if he would get him before he would reach help, he'd be royally fucked.

Edward still remembered the last time he had run... it was back in the days when they had just moved to Rochester. Esme was his sister, making Carlisle his brother-in-law... but still, the situation was more or less the same like it was now: He was an adolescent and the blonde doctor was responsible for him.

Not many people owned a car during that time, but Carlisle had saved money until he was able to get himself one of these beautiful fancy vehicles.

The man loved his car.

Naturally Edward wanted to drive it as well, but Carlisle told him he needed to wait until the weekend when he'd have time to teach him how to drive and let him practice some in a secluded area where no passersby could get hurt.

But too bad, Edward hadn't wanted to wait that long and that's why he concocted a plan that seemed absolutely fool-proof at that time.

He had walked into town and just taken Carlisle's car for a spin - it had been parked in front of the doctor's office where Carlisle was working at that time - well, he had taken it on a quick trip to the next town, enjoying this newly acquired sense of freedom while his coven leader was busy dressing his patients' wounds and wouldn't notice that his car was gone. But reading a book while driving had turned out to be a very bad idea as he hadn't noticed the deer running out of the little forest he drove past. The stupid thing had jumped into the side of the car, leaving a pretty noticeable dent in the driver's door. Edward had tried to punch it back out, but the paint had flaked off and it was just not looking like it should anymore.

Deciding to ask his mother for help, he had steered the car home, only to find his father already there waiting for him.

Without even killing the engine, he had jumped out of the driving vehicle and ran, knowing that Carlisle would have to stop the car first to keep it from driving into the side of the house and damaging it, before he could take off after him.

With the help of his gift he had managed to know exactly when his father would be close so he could change direction or pick up speed, but after almost twelve hours he had grown tired of the game.

Edward just wanted to go home and take a bath and play his beloved piano.

He had finally realised that running was childish as he himself had made the decision to disobey Carlisle and take his car, and so he had nobody else to blame for that mess than himself. The time spent fleeing from his father was utterly wasted, and the moment he had slowed down, turned around and lifted his hands in a placating manner, he already found himself bent over his elder's knee receiving the whipping of a lifetime.

Oh dear... would it be the same now? Maybe he should call out to him that he was just hunting, because he had suddenly realised how very thirsty he was. _You here, Carlisle? Oh, what a pleasant surprise. Come, let's have a moose together on this marvellous day and talk it out. This really just seems to be one big misunderstanding._

If he got lucky, he could even use this excuse for what had happened earlier today... or maybe not.

Oh, how he dreaded coming to a halt here in this Godforsaken forest! Esme was nowhere near, and so she couldn't keep his butt safe from harm. But it was also possible that she was just as unhappy with him as Carlisle was, now that he had willingly ignored them and had taken off.

Leaving the coven would take care of this mess instantly. The moment Carlisle had no authority over him anymore, he wouldn't be able to punish him for this.

But... he didn't want to leave! He didn't want to wander the streets alone, didn't want to be responsible for everything or just being alone. Without a family and without a home he felt more like the soulless creature he deemed a vampire to be than like the noble, perfect son and brother he was. He was his parents' pride and joy... even though it didn't look like it at the moment.

His legs carried him further into the deep, wide forest, his footsteps barely audible - just like Carlisle's.

The man would not stop until he had caught up with him.

And Carlisle had just fed last night - he was full of energy and wouldn't slow down anytime soon. Besides, the doctor could go a ridiculously long time without needing to feed – and still be able to perform surgery on humans. His self-control was unbelievable.

Edward noticed that the rain had stopped, and even the wind wasn't as sharp as it had been before. It felt nice to feel the weather change to something more... friendly. It was calmer in the woods now, a noticeable relief after the storm.

But Edward's thought went back to his tracker.

No matter what he would do or try, there was no escape. Sooner or later he would have to face his father, and then - even though he'd give him the best excuse in the world for why he had run like a five-year-old - he'd be in trouble. Admittedly, there was just no plausible reasoning for why he had acted like a petulant child and refused to do as he was told... and there was no excuse for disobeying him several times in a row and then running from him.

Everyone knew that Carlisle hated it when they willingly ignored him. He made rules for two reasons: Rules to keep them safe from being detected by humans and rules so that all of them could live together in harmony. When having so many different characters living together under a single roof, it was necessary that each one of them would respect and follow basic rules or hell would break loose.

So no need to say that if they broke these rules, Carlisle was not happy.

And unfortunately running was most definitely one of the most disrespectful and cowardly things any one of them could do.

Why has Rose never done something like this? Probably because she didn't have to... Carlisle treated her like a rare jewel, not like the brat she usually was. _So not fair..._

Movement to his left.

Edward snapped his head to the side, trying to see who or what had pulled him from his musings.

The soft, steady footsteps clearly belonged to his coven leader. Being lost in his thoughts must have slowed him down, and he suddenly cursed himself for being so easily distracted.

He pushed himself to go faster, knowing he was the quickest member of this coven and could make sure that his father wouldn't be able to catch him if he checked his thoughts to know where he would go next.

But he actually wanted to put more distance between them. If he'd get distracted again, Carlisle might catch up to him... no, he needed to change strategy if he wanted his butt to remain pain-free for a little longer.

Glancing up into the high firs, he made a decision.

Carlisle wouldn't expect him to go up into the trees to continue his way. He was like a monkey, he could jump from one tree to the other and maybe even be quicker than just by running.

And even if his father would do the same and follow him the same way - it was harder for Carlisle to catch him with wet, spiky branches slapping him in the face.

This idea was ingenious... ha, his father had probably not counted on his razor-sharp mind.

Yes, he had just officially outwitted his creator, and he would do so again and again without even needing the advantage of his glorious gift, ha!

_You don't stand a chance, old man!_

Maybe he would indeed head for their relatives up in Denali and pay them a visit... Carlisle wouldn't dare to do anything, especially when they'd tell him how silly a hiding was for a few damaged pieces of old wood that weren't even his fault. Heck, he was not the weatherman, and he sure as hell hadn't built this old, wonky woodshed.

Pfft, Carlisle was taking this out of proportion and just needed a little time to realise it and cool off. Yes, parents weren't always right, in fact, they were more often wrong than right.

And it didn't really make sense to flip over something that belonged to Rose... she didn't even need that many things. Besides, she always said that all she needed to be happy was her Em and a car to work on, so... no harm done. He had probably even done her a favour by making her focus on the important things in life.

_You're welcome, Rose._

The elder vampire was still following him, and just like expected, he was neither growing tired nor slowing down.

'Edward.'

The bronze-haired vampire shook his head as he heard his father's mental warning.

'Edward, stop.'

_No. No, I won't stop, you smelly old geezer. Only in your dreams._

'Edward.'

_Carlisle._

Realising that his father wouldn't be able to hear him if he didn't say it out loud, he called over his shoulder, "No!"

This stubborn reaction was simply followed by Carlisle picking up his pace.

_Dammit, I thought he was already going at full speed!_

But luckily Edward, too, could still go a little faster and make sure to keep a safety distance between himself and his father - his father who was dead set on killing him.

Fine, he wouldn't really kill him... but he would do something that would probably be just as unpleasant, if not more.

Edward glanced up into the crowns of the trees again and then his lips curved into a smirk.

_You'll never catch me..._

* * *

**Edward seems a little cocky here, don't you think? Hm... I have the feeling that the boy is in dire need of a brain transplant. :-/ So, what do you think so far? Is Edward able to outrun Carlisle? *grins***

**Okay, and if you'll excuse me now, my cat just brought a frog inside and... no. Just no.**

**Thanks for reading and reviewing, guys! Stay tuned if you wanna know what's going to happen next! Bye!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Warning: Spanking in this chapter! Yes, this one!**

* * *

Up in the wide tree crowns, Edward knew that he needed to stay focussed and not let anything distract him or slow him down. The dark branches were relentlessly clawing at his clothes or trying to block his view, they slapped him and bobbed up and down in an attempt to throw him off or make him lose focus.

Was everyone and everything out to get him now?

Oh, and as if that wasn't bad enough, he needed to properly time his jumps and make sure he wouldn't jump too far or not far enough, or he might end up back on the ground and that's where Carlisle was - at the moment he really didn't want to be where Carlisle was, nuh-uh.

The man was still following him, but had remained on the ground and not chosen to also jump from tree to tree. He either was not as good at climbing and jumping as he was, or he was scared of Esme and Alice if he'd ruin his brand-new suit. Then he'd be the next Cullen in line to get chased through the woods...

No, probably not, but it was a funny mental image.

With a loud huff, Edward tried to rid his mind of this nonsense again and concentrate. He really needed to watch where he was going to calculate his next move, but while he did that he had trouble keeping up with his father's thoughts.

He wasn't sure if he liked not knowing what his father was thinking or scheming at the moment... the man was the exact opposite of feeble-minded and he knew him quite well...

_Oh, please don't catch me..._

Maybe it was safer to get down from the trees and run again, at least then he could see exactly where his father was planning on going and how he wanted to try to catch him.

So in order to not have Carlisle pounce him the moment he'd land on the ground again, he jumped as far as he could and then began running again, his father still close on his heels.

They were farther up north now, the wind was getting colder and the ground felt harder and crunched underneath the soles of his sneakers. He might be close to Denali, at least the mountain range he could see in the distance looked very familiar.

However, he didn't have time to be relieved because he felt his father getting closer, could hear the mental warnings he sent his way.

'Stop... you know I'll catch you... you'll regret this foolishness soon enough... don't make it worse, Edward...'

Edward, although extremely nervous, could only snort over Carlisle's attempts to make him stop fleeing from him. If he would indeed stop, he'd have to face his father, but if he'd keep on running, he might outrun him... What did the man think he'd chose? Tzk, silly Carlisle.

It was still quite possible for him to make it to their relatives' house, and only then he'd stop running. Not a minute sooner.

Carlisle should know him better by now, Edward Anthony Masen Cullen would never give up, never! He'd run until his feet would fall off if he'd have to.

Too focussed on his musings and evading trees and bushes, he unconsciously made the mistake to glance back over his shoulder to see where Carlisle was. It must have been a rock or a thick root, he didn't know, but he suddenly tripped and stumbled forward, almost falling to the ground. He whipped his head back around and tried to regain his balance when he suddenly felt his father's finger tips graze his sleeve. Hissing in panic, he moved away and stared back over his shoulder with wide open eyes.

Carlisle was so close, he could hear him breathe and clench his teeth.

_Ah! Oh, no no no!_

He ducked away when Carlisle reached for him again, his hand just millimetres from his shoulder.

Fuelled by a new boost of adrenaline, Edward lurched deeper into the forest, pumping his arms and legs like the devil was chasing after him.

If he wouldn't be so panicky right now, he would have laughed in relief when his father fell back again.

_Phew, that was close._

The chase continued just like before, but the surroundings changed. The forest was thinning out now and the trees became more sparse.

Edward liked that as running would be easier now that he didn't have to deal with so many hindrances and potential tripping hazards anymore.

But then he found himself looking at a new, much bigger hindrance than just a few stupid trees.

A lake lay ahead, and his nervousness suddenly peaked again - he didn't know what to do and to make matters worse, Carlisle was closing in again.

Dodging his father, concentrating on his thoughts to see where he would go next and what he'd do, as well as trying to keep a certain safety distance between them turned out to be a little too much at a time, especially when he had to keep it up for a while.

And he really didn't know what to do now. Running _around_ the lake? But he wanted to reach their relatives as quickly as possible, and that detour might cost him valuable time. Besides, he didn't want his father to take a short cut over the icy surface of the lake and then catch him...

Why did horrible things like this always happen to him? Too many unfortunate coincidences, and he got blamed. Okay, fine... the basement might have been a better place to put Rose's stuff... but apart from that mistake, he hadn't really done much wrong! The collapsed woodshed was clearly an act of nature and not his doing!

Carlisle's footsteps drew nearer.

_Oh dammit, just get away from me!_

The quickest way to their relatives' house would be right across the lake.

_Just run over the ice and reach the other side. __Simple really._

But the moment his feet met the mirror-like surface, he skidded slightly and had trouble to regain his balance and his footing and move on. Carlisle was close on his heels, his displeasure over his son's attempted escape still not diminished in the least.

After managing not to fall flat on his face, Edward realised that running over the lake was too difficult. And now he had wasted time and needed to get more distance between them again, needed to make sure that Carlisle wouldn't get him so easily.

So Edward, in lack of a better plan, got back to the frozen ground and got up into the tree closest to the lake – but there was no other tree around he could jump to. He glanced back to check where his father was and seeing that he was dangerously close, he had no other choice but to jump.

The frozen lake turned out to be his downfall. Quite literally, actually.

Edward didn't look where he would land, as he kept looking back to check the distance between himself and his father instead of just trying to get a glimpse of what his father was seeing at the moment, and he didn't see how thin the ice was in the spot he'd land.

... and then it happened.

It happened too quickly for him to really react, and so he all of the sudden felt himself break through the thin layer of partly milky looking and partly clear ice, falling right into the freezing cold water the lake held underneath its icy coating.

While his body wouldn't be much impacted by the sudden iciness of the water as it didn't freeze into numbness like a human's would, he still gasped in shock and accidentally inhaled water. His clothes and shoes were instantly soaked and he was glad that he was a vampire, because otherwise the weight would have pulled him down and made it exceptionally harder to move.

It probably was no more than a second, but it felt like an eternity until he managed to overcome the initial shock and realise that he could still escape by just swimming to the other side of the lake and then break through the ice to evade his father, a strong hand suddenly wrapped around the back of his neck and pulled him out of the icy wetness with one strong yank.

He landed hard on the ice twenty feet away, hearing it crack due to the impact, and he glided over the mirror-like surface right back to the lake shore. Quickly he got on all fours, then scrambled to his feet while sputtering water, but just as he could more or less breathe again, his father's fine scent filled his nostrils and the realisation finally hit that his _father_ had been the one who had just pulled him out of the water.

His father - the person he had tried to get away from for the past few hours.

Edward's mouth went dry.

And just like a few seconds ago, his father was right by his side. His hand clamped down on his upper arm and roughly pulled him up into a standing position, before he grabbed him by the neck. His hold on him was impossible tight, and Edward began to shudder.

However, he had no time to make up a new plan or even fend his father off, because he was marched along the lake shore before Carlisle yanked him down over his knees as he sat on an old tree stump.

"What are you doing?!"

Carlisle had an non-verbal answer to that – his hand connected with his behind exactly three times, making the boy suck in a sharp breath at the sudden pain and instantly try to squirm away from his coven leader's punishing hand.

Without thinking, he whined, "I didn't do anything!"

And Carlisle also didn't waste any time to answer that exclamation. A growl of frustration vibrated in his throat and Edward gulped.

His jeans were quickly pulled down to his knees in one swift motion, and his behind felt uncomfortably vulnerable in the cold air and the precarious position it was in.

His underwear was next and he held his breath right before the first slap landed on his wet behind, quickly followed by more.

"Ah!"

"Be quiet," Carlisle replied in a stern voice and let his hand fall again, very aware of what kind of pain his iron hand would bring on wet skin.

"Car-" "Never run from me."

Another smack.

"Ow!"

"You never run from me. This is the most disrespectful and foolish thing you could do, boy. I thought you'd learned your lesson the last time you pulled such a stunt," the doctor told him and added five measured smacks in quick succession.

"But- ah!" A sharp slap instantly interrupted Edward's protest and instead he gritted his teeth.

"I guess I was wrong, so let's try again. Perhaps this time I can leave a lasting impression."

Edward held his breath and blinked his eyes furiously as he felt thick venom begin to slowly fill his eyes and nose. "Dad, come on! I didn't do anything, it's all R-"

"_You_ made the decision to turn around and run, _you_ and nobody else! Stop blaming others for what you've done."

"That hurts, Carlisle!" the mindreader called out as a very vicious smack landed on the crease where bottom met thigh. That vulnerable line and the back of his thighs were so sensitive, and of course Carlisle knew that.

"Do you know how much it hurts me to see you acting like a brat?" the doctor queried, falling into a steady rhythm now and delivering smack after painful smack. "Having to punish you like a child because you refuse to listen and just do what pleases you even though it harms others? Hm?"

Carlisle wasn't waiting for an answer – no, he just continued to meticulously cover his behind with sharp spanks like he wanted to win a prize for creating the world's first baboon-assed vampire.

Edward whimpered.

He'd never go anywhere near a lake ever again. _Why in the world did the ice break? Why couldn't it have waited until Carlisle stepped onto that exact spot?_ That would have helped his situation a lot because he would have earned valuable time that he might have needed to reach their relatives and brief them about what had happened before Carlisle would catch up with him.

Carlisle was giving him a good hiding, paying special attention to the part were butt met thigh. He was planning on making him feel it all the way home and beyond. Yes, after this chase and what he had done on this day, he was dead set on curing his son from his nasty habit of doing whatever he wanted, then blaming other for his mistakes and then run like a child instead of taking responsibility for his actions.

Edward heard what his father was thinking.

He had just tried to distract himself so he wouldn't start crying like a baby, but now he slowly started to feel a little ashamed of himself even though he didn't want to.

He hissed when Carlisle shifted him forward and raised his right knee to get better access to the sensitive under curve of his rear end.

"You will not touch your siblings' things again without their explicit consent, you hear? What you did was childish and bratty, and I don't want to see you act like that again! This behaviour will stop now, Edward!"

His eyes glazed over with a layer of thick venom, and he bit his lip in an attempt to endure the rest of the spanking without crying out.

This really hurt, but Carlisle was not done yet.

"And then you have the audacity to go shopping instead of doing as you're told! What has gotten into you? I regret giving you so many chances, I should have whipped you right then and there, boy."

Oh, maybe all of this was indeed Carlisle's fault... the furniture would have never gotten wet and he wouldn't have run. Great, and now he took his frustration out on him...

Edward was so glad that they were currently in the middle of nowhere because this would be embarrassing. If someone would see! He was lying over his father's knees with his bare ass on display, receiving a smacking and getting chided at the same time.

He squirmed and tried to slide sideways off his lap, but Carlisle just pulled him back up, secured him against his stomach by gripping his waist tighter, and continued like nothing had happened. "Hold still," he admonished, "I'm not done yet."

Edward hissed and banged his fist on the ground.

"Ah ah, stop that, boy. You better use your energy to think about why you find yourself in this position. When I tell you to do something, I expect you to do it, no ifs, ands, or buts. Telling you to bring you siblings' furniture back inside is not unreasonable, boy. And then you disobey me again and run - I thought you knew better. I am so very disappointed in you."

If it wasn't for the pain in his buttocks, he would have crossed his arms and grumbled. Of course he did know better, he knew running was silly... but he didn't know why he had run. It's not like he had _planned_ it or something. And Carlisle knew he hated it when he told him he acted like a child... he was a grown man after all! Mature and all that! Besides, there was no reason to be disappointed when it wasn't his fault that the shed collapsed.

The smacks rained down quicker and harder now, and the thick venom that was pooling in Edward's eyes spilled over and ran down his cheeks, leaving sticky trails behind.

Lucky for him, the uptake in speed meant Carlisle was finishing up, even though Edward and his backside didn't feel that lucky at the moment.

Twice more his father's hand connected with his behind, and then the punishment suddenly stopped.

Heaving shaky breaths, Edward felt exhausted and very sorry for himself.

_Once you make a wrong decision, it only gets worse from there..._

The hand that had just a few seconds ago lit his butt on fire was now gently running up and down his back, and Edward calmed due to the comfort it brought. He sniffed to get rid of the venom that was clogging his nose, and he dragged his sleeve over his face to rid it of the sticky liquid that was proof he had been crying.

His father's words and thoughts stung.

He compared him to a little child and he was disappointed with him... but he hadn't done anything wrong! Only brought Rose's stuff out of the house and then, when he got caught, refused to bring it back inside.

Then he went shopping like he didn't have a care in the world, sending his father the message that he couldn't care less about what he told him to do.

Fine... that did sound a little like what a bratty child would do... oh.

Alice had tried to help him and then even warned him about the weather, still giving him enough time to drive back or even run from Anchorage to Palmer... but he didn't listen.

He should have listened, he realised that now.

And in the end his father had made it home before him and the gusts of wind and the rain had done what really shouldn't have happened.

And because he hadn't been willing to shoulder the blame for the damage, he had run.

Urgh... he hadn't run because of that, he had run because he _was_ to blame. He'd gotten several chances to remedy his mistake, but he had refused to listen to anyone and now he had gotten his comeuppance.

Edward rubbed at his eyes while he cursed himself for being such an ass.

The caring hand stopped the soft stroking, and the other one that had been securing him was suddenly gone.

The moment Edward realised that Carlisle allowed him to get up, he shot off his lap like a scalded cat.

Now that he was standing here in front of his father, he felt embarrassed and stupid for running and the childish behaviour he had displayed at home... he was indeed feeling ashamed of himself.

Carlisle got up from the tree stump, and Edward pulled up his underwear, then glanced at him before he quickly hung his head and sniffled.

A knuckle underneath his jaw gently pushed his head back up until Edward was looking into his father's soft honey-coloured eyes. "No more of this foolishness, Edward," he said. "I expect you to conduct yourself better from now on and once we get home, I want to see you do your best to repair your siblings' things or replace them if needed."

He nodded, mumbling a teary 'Yes, sir', before he felt himself being engulfed in his father's strong arms.

"Shh, it's over, there's a good boy. Calm yourself, you're forgiven, shh."

This hug, the peaceful silence and his father's scent were exactly what he needed and he felt the tenseness and his guilty conscience wash away.

He pulled away when his tears had stopped, and Carlisle patted his boy's shoulder before he let him go.

"But Dad," Edward told him and wiped at his eyes once more, "I can't replace what's been broken."

Carlisle's eyebrows climbed up into his hairline. "What was that?"

"Antique furniture, Dad... it will be so much work to find the exact same or at least similar pieces... maybe a gift card would be -"

"Edward!" the coven leader called strictly and started pacing. "You haven't learned anything from this, have you? I cannot believe you would suggest such a thing! I want you to replace what has been destroyed, and it will be with your own money, understood?"

Edward stumbled back and blinked at him like he had just grown a second head. "_My..._? But-"

Carlisle stopped pacing, turned towards him and put his hands on his hips, his face serious and the look in his eyes piercing and intimidating.

"If you finish that sentence, I will drag you right back over my lap and make the spanking you just received feel like a few love taps. No more backtalk, boy, I'm warning you! As soon as we're home you will make _every effort_ to fix or replace your siblings' furniture, period. Am I understood?"

The boy's eyes widened. "Yes, Sir," he uttered, then bit down on his lips to keep himself from doing or saying something that could be misinterpreted as disrespect.

His butt was so sore and he didn't want Carlisle to turn him over his knee again for another dose of this paddle he called a hand.

But now that he was standing in front of him, he could see exactly where he had been lying across his father's lap and had been pressed against his lower stomach, because the fabric of his trousers had soaked up the water from his own clothes and body and... well, it was wet now.

The man looked like he had just peed his pants and it made the scolding as well as Carlisle's stern facial expression a tiny weeny bit comical... but he figured it would be counter-productive to point that out now and so he tried his hardest not to laugh.

His father would not see the humour in this. Or would he?

_Hm, no... better not risk it._ Emmett would be stupid enough to laugh in a situation like this, but that oaf was seriously lacking common sense.

His behind felt swollen already, and they'd still have to run all the way back. Running sounded like the worst thing possible at the moment and it would be even worse after another one of Carlisle's spankings. And Edward didn't dare ask Carlisle if he could call Jasper or Esme to come pick them up. Besides, sitting also sounded horrible.

_So yeah... better not risk it._

His thoughts must have distracted him for a moment again, because when he heard his father angrily call his name, he gave a jerk and stared at him with wide eyes.

Carlisle took a step toward him. "Are you listening to me, Edward?" he asked, a deep frown creasing his forehead.

"Yes, Sir," Edward quickly replied, carefully rubbing at his smarting flesh.

"Then tell me, what did I just say?"

_Oops, what could he possibly have said?_

"You said we are going home now," he replied after having wisely checked his father's thoughts.

He really didn't want to appear disrespectful now and let his father think that he wasn't listening. Even though he really hadn't been listening.

But _phew_, he was right. Carlisle just wanted to head back home now and see what they could do about Rosalie's antique stuff.

Running sounded horrible now... he'd much rather take a swim through the lake and get his butt to cool off some. The way it was burning right now, he was sure it was steaming in the cold Alaskan air.

"Pull your jeans up, son, we need to get going," Carlisle ordered and fished his cell phone from his trouser pocket. "Thirteen missed calls," he murmured, "your mother must be sick with worry."

Then he shot his son a sharp glance, before he walked in the direction they had come from, the phone firmly pressed against his ear.

* * *

**Yep, Edward did not manage to outwit or outrun his creator. Sucks for him.**

****Now there's one more chapter and we're done, yay! I'm happy :D I really hope you'll like the last one, it's almost finished.****

**And thank you so much for reading my story and taking time to review, guys!**


	6. Chapter 6

"It's all right, Esme... yes... yes, love, I got him... no," Carlisle said into his phone while he was marching with quick steps through the forest, leading the way.

"For how long?... well, I know you are feeling sad, but I can understand why they... no, no, don't worry. We'll be home soon... yes... yes, I love you too!"

The blonde man hung up and stuffed the phone back into his trouser pocket before he wiped at his wet crotch, now noticing it for the first time. Groaning, he glanced back over his shoulder, then fully turned around and shook his head as he heaved yet another groan.

"Edward? Stop stalling and pick up your pace. You still have quite a bit of work to do and we don't want to waste any time, hm?"

Edward just distorted his face as he tried to go faster, but then decided against it, stopped where he was and reached back to rub at his smarting hind quarters. The look on his face turned pleading, or at least he hoped it would so that Carlisle would start to be a bit nicer to him.

"Boy," Carlisle warned when he saw that his son was doing the exact opposite of what he had just told him.

Pulling the seat of his jeans away from his behind so it wouldn't rub against his skin so much, he just shook his head and moaned. "I don't want to run, it hurts. And my shoes are full of water, that's disgusting!"

With his eyes closed, Carlisle counted to ten, but Edward still hadn't moved from his spot or at least stopped with the defiance. He stood there complaining and sulking, despite his father's very brittle nerves.

"Can someone come up here and pick us up?" the boy asked hopefully.

Carlisle's eyes opened and he blinked at his son in disbelief. When Edward still didn't move, the look on his face turned dark and his left hand found its way to his right sleeve. "Do you want me to come over there and pick you up?" he asked, starting to push the sleeve of his jacket up.

That motion helped Edward fairly quickly to understand that his question had truly been stupid.

He really didn't want Carlisle to walk towards him now.

But he also didn't want to run.

Since he figured he didn't really have a choice at the moment and continuing to defy his father would only make it worse, he slowly started to trudge toward his father. His shoes were making loud squishy noises and Edward distorted his face with every step as the water and the tiny air bubbles in his shoes washed around his toes and annoyed him to no end.

"Enough with the stalling now, we need to hurry."

"We won't make it in time anyways, Dad. I won't be able to replace anything until Rose and Em come back home. A few hours just isn't enough," he tried to reason with him.

"A few hours?" Carlisle queried and squinted at his boy in confusion. "A few days, you mean."

"What?"

"Your siblings aren't on their way back yet," he let him know and shook his head. "Rosalie spoke to your mother today and informed her that they are going to Paris for a couple of days."

"Oh," Edward breathed and stopped walking. "_Oh._"

_Damn you, Rosalie!_

His plan had been bound to fail then, even if Carlisle hadn't noticed the missing furniture before he left for work and there hadn't been a storm today that wrecked everything... sooner or later his parents wold have realised that he had done something to Rose and Em's room. His stupid siblings were supposed to come home today, and that's when they would have seen the little changes to their room. If he had only known that they had decided to travel some more, then he would have waited until the very day to get rid of their stuff.

_Gah, thanks Rosalie! Stupid, annoying, bratty... girl._

"Why in the world do we need to hurry then?" Edward asked as he kicked a stone away before giving his father a look that didn't sit well with the coven leader.

"Because your mother is worried and you still have a lot to clean up and repair or replace, _am I right_?"

"But I'm not doing anything about the woodshed, someone else can get rid of that pile of rotten boards," he stated decisively. "I didn't break it and besides, it's Emmett's."

Just when he realised that it maybe was not the right time nor place to say something like that, and that Carlisle was most definitely not the right person to say that to, he already found himself tucked under his father's arm and receiving five sharp slaps that successfully reignited the blazing fire in his behind.

"Oww!"

"Any more questions?" Carlisle queried when he straightened up again and wiped a strand of hair out of his eyes.

"No, Sir," Edward mumbled and averted his eyes, feeling even more miserable now.

"I want you to _run_ home with me now, understood?"

Edward's face scrunched up in unwillingness again, and Carlisle let out a groan.

"You decided to run away, Edward. We would still be home if you hadn't made that stupid decision, am I right?"

"Fine, but... my shoes," he replied and looked down at the dirty, wet sneakers on his feet.

"Run barefoot, I really don't care," Carlisle replied. "Just get a move on."

Nodding, Edward bent down, but let out a hiss through his teeth and shot up again.

Carlisle eyed him with a raised eyebrow and there was not even the slightest hint of sympathy in his eyes.

Since bending down was out of the question now, Edward just kicked off his shoes and started to walk away, but was seized by his upper arm and pulled back.

"Your shoes, Edward."

"I'm not going to run in these. And I don't even like them, Alice bought them."

"You will still take them home with you. I won't have you litter the forest with things you don't want anymore. The world is polluted and rubbish-strewn enough, we don't need to add to it."

"They will slow me down if I have to carry them. Can you take them?"

Shaking his head, obviously fed up with this pointless talk, Carlisle walked over to the discarded shoes, opened the laces, then tied both shoes together. He brought them over to his boy and hung them over his shoulder.

"Anything else you want to say?" he asked. He looked like he was getting exasperated with his firstborn.

"My butt hurts."

"Let that be a lesson to you and use the time we need to get home to think about your behaviour and how to make better choices in the future. Now, let's go. And let me remind you: Any more childish whining and your behind will hurt a lot more. I'm fed up with your antics, son."

They ran, not as quickly as Carlisle would have liked, but he decided to be patient with Edward now. The boy was hissing and whining, but at least he did as he was told and just a few hours later they indeed made it home.

"There you are!" Esme called and walked towards them when her husband and son pushed through the trees and appeared in their large backyard. The look on her face seemed worried and relieved at the same time. She kissed her mate on the lips, then hurried past him and over to her bronze-haired son.

"Edward," she chided, holding his head in between her dainty hands, "what was that all about?"

"I'm sorry, Mom," he replied and averted his eyes, "I didn't mean to scare you."

She sighed, and when he glanced at her, he could detect sadness and disappointment in her eyes.

Realising what his behaviour had done to his poor mother, he tried to look anywhere but her face. He felt ashamed for upsetting her and had no idea what to do or say now to make it all better again.

"Don't do that again, Edward," she half pleaded and half warned, then gave him a loving kiss on his forehead and pulled him in for a hug.

However the embrace didn't last long, because the petite woman pulled away again and scrunched up her nose. "Why are your clothes so moist, Edward? And why are you shoes over your shoulder instead of on your feet?"

Edward might have explained, but just at that moment something more significant and disturbing caught his attention and made his eyes go wide.

"Mom... um, when did that tree fall into the remains of the woodshed?" he asked and scratched the side of his face as he stared at what he could only describe as a catastrophy.

"Oh...," she replied and distorted her face. "I was on the phone with Alice, she and Jasper have decided to spent a few days away from home, and then I heard a crack. When I went to see where that noise was coming from, it had already happened."

"Well, perfect," the bronze-haired youth snapped and narrowed his eyes as he took in the mess. "So I have to replace _everything_ now? That's not fair!"

"Boy, don't you start again," Carlisle reprimanded sharply and pointed his index finger at him. "The furniture is only out here because you put it here. If it were still upstairs and in Rose and Emmett's room where it clearly belongs, you wouldn't have to replace it now. Does that make any sense to you, Edward, or do I need to knock some sense into you?"

"Carlisle...," Esme pleaded and shook her head at her mate.

"Okay, fine," Edward sighed and hung his head in a dejected manner, knowing full well what would happen if he kept up that defiance. "I'll go online and see what I can do."

"You go do that, and I wish to have a list of all the furniture that needs to be replaced as well as a list of the antique shops in the area on my desk in an hour. If you cannot find the same or similar furniture online, then call the shops in the morning or we just drive there. Understood?"

Edward nodded. "Yes, Sir."

It took a few days and costed a few bucks, but they indeed managed to refurnish Rose and Emmett's room with things that looked just like or at least almost like the furniture that had been in there before. Edward gritted his teeth every time he had to pull out his credit card and hand it over the counter, or needed to type in his credit card information in an online order form for fast delivery.

He could have used Jasper and his gift during that time, because Carlisle was oddly irritated whenever he pointed out that he thought Rose didn't have any taste when it came to anything, all of the things were horribly ugly and way too expensive or that giving these two a bed would be too much of a punishment for the entire family and his father should put his foot down and forbid them from owning such an offending piece of furniture. He meant well, but instead of appreciating his idea and praising him, Carlisle only gave him smack after smack before he made him sit back down in his hard wooden chair and continue browsing until every last missing piece of furniture was found and bought.

Just half an hour before the blonde devil and Em would come back, the last missing piece of furniture, a wooden trunk, was delivered and the room finally complete. And only then was Carlisle satisfied.

* * *

"Mother!" Rosalie called as she entered the house and was immediately buried in a bone crushing hug.

Esme had missed them even more than she had realised, but now she finally had her babies back and wouldn't let them go anytime soon. Her beautiful daughter was practically glowing, and Esme felt so much happiness coming off of her, that she was just happy for and with her.

That holiday had been what her girl and her big baby boy had needed after a few stressful years at college. And since they would soon start high school again in this little town in Alaska, they had made the right choice to spend a few weeks away from the family and just enjoy some time alone while rediscovering the world and what it had to offer. Even if it was only for a short time.

Rose giggled and hugged her father when he stepped up to them. He smiled and let his hand run through her hair while welcoming his girl home and asking her if she had enjoyed her holidays. She pulled back and started to tell him all about it, when suddenly something big and bulky soared past Esme's ear and Carlisle ducked in time so that the heavy piece of luggage wouldn't smack him right in the face. The far wall in the hallway stopped the sudden flight of the suitcase and it fell to the ground with a loud bang.

Unsurprisingly Rosalie laughed, then shed out of her blazer to hang it on the coat hook. Alice danced over to her to greet her sister and tell her how much she had liked their holidays and the little gifts they had gotten for her.

"Emmett!" both Esme and Carlisle called out just as the boy appeared in the doorway, a big dimpled grin plastered on his face.

"Momma, Pops!" Emmett exclaimed happily, completely oblivious to the reprimanding tone his parents had just taken. "Missed me, didn't ya?!"

The air was knocked from their lungs as he embraced them both at once, squishing them together in his strong arms and rocking them from one side to the other in a way of showing them just how happy he was to see them again.

"Emmy," Alice giggled as she only saw her brother's broad back and flailing arms. "That's a bit too tight, I think."

He quickly let go of his parents and slapped his hands against their upper arms. "Hi guys."

While Carlisle tried to fix his hair, Esme coughed as air was streaming into her lungs again, then ran her hand up and down her son's arm and smiled at him. "Emmy, sweetheart, just look at you!"

Edward hadn't been in the foyer to welcome his long lost siblings, as he was a little nervous about his sister's reaction to the slightly different furniture. It would be exciting to tell her what he had done, but after Carlisle's warning that he'd whip his tail if he'd start anything on that day or look for trouble, he decided it would be best not to be present.

However, while he sat in the living room on the couch, reading the paper, he could hear the annoying clacking of Rosalie's high heels on the wooden floor boards, heading for the exact room he was in.

"Brother," she acknowledged when he turned around to look at her.

He cocked an eyebrow. "Rosalie."

"Did you miss me?"

"No," he grumbled in response, which only made her laugh.

She pulled her keys from her jeans pocket and placed them onto the sideboard, then tied her hair up in a high ponytail.

Esme entered the room and watched her daughter with a frown of confusion just as the girl started to take her shoes off.

"Don't you want to unpack now?" she queried.

"I'll do that later," Rosalie said and shook her head, then headed for the French windows. "I'm feeling thirsty after the long flight and the drive. Emmett, are you coming? Grizzlies don't wait!"

Her mate came running into the room, threw a pair of sneakers in the air for his wife to catch and then quickly disappeared outside with a loud laugh, giddy with excitement that he would finally get to go on a bear hunt again.

Rose caught the shoes and slipped them on, then was just about to step out onto the patio when she suddenly stopped, turned around and said, "Oh, Esme, before I forget: Can we get the old furniture out of our room? We found the prettiest little shop with design furniture in Paris, and we ordered the most perfect things to furnish our room. Just wait till you see what we got!" she exclaimed and gave Esme the broadest and happiest smile.

Esme returned the smile, and Rose briefly tightened her pony tail.

"Anyways," she said, "everything up there has to go, so whoever wants it, help yourselves."

Then she waved her mother goodbye and left, chasing after her husband.

Edward was dumbstruck, until he really and fully registered what the horrible blonde had just said.

And almost instantly, he was fuming. He threw the newspaper on the table and scrambled to his feet, his hands balled into tight fists and his eyes blazing. "_YOU B-_"

"Edward!" Alice called hastily as she was suddenly sitting on his back like a monkey and smacked her hand over his mouth so he wouldn't be able to say what he was planning on saying. "Ssh."

* * *

In the evening Carlisle and Esme settled down on the couch in the living room, glad and relieved that the family was complete once again and their children had come back unharmed and happy. Now they could start anew in this place, fall into a comfortable daily routine and enjoy the years to come.

Upstairs a door was wrenched open, then quickly slammed shut, and then quickened footsteps could be heard before raised voices sounded down to them.

Both parents shut their eyes for a moment and groaned - the comfortable and relaxed atmosphere once again over and ruined.

The bickering upstairs continued and judging by the voices, it was unsurprisingly Rose and Edward. Rosalie was complaining that her room 'reeked' of her brother and demanded to know why, and Edward snapped at her that she was just crazy and imagining things.

It had been so wonderfully quiet in the house while these two hadn't been able to see each other, but now they seemed to continue where they had left off before the move.

Carlisle and Esme glanced at each other, then after heaving a sigh Carlisle made to get up to go upstairs and scold his children, but he was kept in his seat by his wife's hand on his knee. She shook her head at him and he reluctantly nodded.

Leaning against him, Esme reached for the TV remote with her other hand just as he did the same and after giving each other a little smile, Carlisle let his hand fall back to his lap while his wife took the remote and turned the volume up to drone out the voices upstairs.

They snuggled together and just tried to forget the world around them for a while, because no matter where they would move to, some things would never change.

* * *

**And that's it. I know Edward's childish antics might be a little too childish, but pfft. I just like to make Eddie really sulky and stubborn and see him and Rose bickering, these two are so much fun together! But - too bad - it didn't even come to that 'really big bang' as the dear doctor thwarted Eddie's plans... I'll have a word with Carlisle, don't you worry :D**

**Thank you so very much for reading and reviewing, I really hope you liked the story (even though it was about Edward) ;)**

**Until next time!**


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